Pause for Celebrity Tweets

Celebrities everywhere are taking advantage of twitter. Not only does tweeting allow them to connect directly to their fans, it does so in a matter of seconds. The adventures of our favourite a-listers are now available on a daily, and for some twitter-obsessed celebrities, hourly basis. Want to know what Ashton Kutcher had for lunch? No problem. Shaq’s latest musing? Just a click away. Fans worldwide now have an all-access pass to the daily ponderings of these once seemingly untouchable stars.

Twitter has altered the way we perceive and interact with celebrities allowing musicians, actors, and even politicians to take the power back into their own hands. Instead of depending on the media to report on their, often-fabricated celebrity story lines, social networking tools have opened the doors of communication and completely cut out the middleman. Why purchase a copy of Us Weekly when you can follow your favourite celebrity every day?

This new accessibility can even lead to unintentional PR goldmines. Most recently, Demi Moore was centre of a suicide cry made public when a fan posted on her twitter page. After Moore became aware she re-tweeted to over 350,000 of her followers, which prompted a call to the California police who took the women into custody. Shortly after, media praised Moore for saving a woman’s life. Some would argue that Twitter was the real hero but Moore certainly gets credit for taking the reach of this social networking tool and using it to do good.

What Made Me Pause?

Whether celebrities are tweeting themselves or have their PR team carefully crafting their latest post, twitter is a way to keep stars on the map, or bring others back from the land of has-beens. With an overwhelming unbalance between the few they are following (sometimes as little as 10) versus the thousands of dedicated followers, it is clear that most celebrities are using Twitter as a strategic endorsement tool. That, or they just don’t have many real friends on the twitter bandwagon yet. The former seems more likely.

Celebrities are designed to be larger than life personas that are out of our reach. How else can they generate an onset of screams when they enter a room? Fill a theatre or stadium? It’s not just about talent. It’s about this image that is created of them being different, special and anything but average. While we’re busy with our ordinary routine, they are supposed to be out there living a glamorous life we can’t begin to imagine.

So what happens when our bubbles burst and we realize that the most exciting event in a celebrity’s day is taking a yoga class or sitting at home doing nothing? Will that enhance their image by making them more relatable? Or, at a certain point, will that fail to impress us? Will weekly gossip magazines survive when it’s just as easy to find out John Mayer and Jennifer Aniston broke up in 140 characters or less? Only time will tell.

Isabella

Pause for Random Acts of Social Media Kindness

An acquaintance from university just changed her facebook relationship status. Moments later, I get a text from a friend asking if I’ve heard the news. Bottom line: in the world of social media, news travels fast. It’s become a way for us to be in the know about other people’s lives without necessarily being invested in them. However, the delivery speed of these messages and their reach is something to think about.

We’ve all heard the old saying to pay it forward, but now social media is turning it up a notch and encouraging users to pay it backward. The newest social media campaign for a cause that caught my eye is Pay it Backward Day that will be held in Toronto on April 4th. The event, ran by Daily Challenge and sponsored by Second Cup, will consist of people purchasing a drink for the person behind them in line without necessarily knowing them. Partnered with Sick Kids Foundation, this simple act can simultaneously spread kindness and help a good cause. The event also hopes to break the world record of 490 ‘pay it backward’ participants. Knowing that rumours can spread one click at a time, this tells us that social goodness can spread the very same way.

What Made Me Pause?

Ironically, the fast-paced world of technology has made me stop and reflect on how social media can promote kindness on a macro level. A simple act like having a stranger open the door can sweep a smile across your face and change your spirits. If these types of acts can be multiplied through facebook or twitter, can this translate to a more caring society? Even if campaigns like Pay it Backward reach 10 more people through social media, that’s 10 more acts of kindness that are out there which may inspire another 10 people, causing a domino effect with the potential to reach thousands.

If we take the power that lies within information sharing we can inspire a kindness revolution. I encourage everyone to stop and think not only at trivial facebook updates but at do-good campaigns that can really make a difference.

Melissa

Pause for Behavioural Advertising

An article in the New York Times presents recent survey findings on respondents’ views on behavioral advertising over the Internet. The result was a growing number of people feel their privacy is threatened. In fact, over 75 per cent of respondents agreed that “The Internet is not well regulated, and naïve users can easily be taken advantage of”.

Many sites have made steps toward enhancing consumer privacy. Yahoo has included a link in certain ads explaining how the user’s browsing history determined the ad being displayed. Google also has its own behavioural advertising system in the works with plans to disclose the information gathered from its users.

While this issue is being taken more seriously, it is yet to be seen how effective these new transparency tactics will be. The article reveals that a mere 15 per cent of users read privacy statements and less than 50 per cent check if privacy statements are available at all.

What Made Me Pause?

Behavioural advertising is here to stay. This means that people need to start taking individual accountability when surfing the net. While regulations might help ensure consumer protection, ultimately, it is up to individuals to make responsible choices when disclosing personal information. We keep our PIN number a secret, even though the bank ultimately protects us from fraud. We lock our doors at night, even though we know our alarm will warn us of intruders. Yet, we are willing to hand over so much personal information via the Internet without a second thought. People who are ordinarily sensible lose their judgement when it comes to online activity. Even if regulations are imposed to ensure proper disclosure, will any of us actually acknowledge it? Or will users just perform the ceremonial scroll down until the “I agree” tab appears so we can click and move on? The fact is that if we don’t take our vulnerability in cyberspace seriously, there is no sense in imposing law that will go unnoticed. The terms of marketing and advertising have changed along with the way we listen to music or get our news. So, as consumers, we must inform ourselves so we can be equipped to participate in a fair and balanced marketplace.

Isabella

Pause for the Future of Print Media

With the current economic climate, declining advertising sales and the growth of internet, print media is facing an uphill battle. More and more, people are turning to different sources to get their news and they are demanding to be part of the process. Some journalists are swimming against the tide and resent the fact that the new form of online discourse is questioning their credibility and superiority over society. But, others have a different perspective.

In 2007, a former group of journalists from Libération in Paris decided to create Rue89, an online news site. Instead of ignoring the prevalence of online media, they decided to join in. Their forward-thinking approach goes a step further and engages people to participate in a live blog and suggest what topics they would like covered. (Source: International Herald Tribune)

Rue89’s slogan is “Information with three voices. Journalists, Experts, Internautes.” The concept is strategic information sharing between its journalists, outside specialists and internet users.

Paul Riche describes the concept as a “Possible version of the future for global news media as it responds to the challenges of the internet.”

What Made Me Pause?

In PR, we are trained to pitch media.  We work behind the scenes to influence what is deemed worthy to be front page, above the fold.  So what does it mean to us if internet users also begin to pitch their stories? The rules of media relations and our role within it begin to shift. But, is this to our advantage?

If our audiences are telling us what they read about in the news, then we can meet those demands and give them exactly what they want.  It becomes a win-win-win.

The French have realized that exclusive journalism only leads to failure. So, while they sip their café au lait and ride this new wave of online media success, the question becomes, will this trend catch on? Will Canadian journalists learn from the French and realize that criticizing online communities and their credibility will only lead to their own demise? The only lifeline journalists have left is to become an active player in the game of online media.

Melissa

Pause for Skittles Social Media Experiment

Have you checked out skittles.com recently? Chances are if you have you’ve been bombarded with a slew of social media platforms.  More and more, social media is demanding PR and marketing campaigns to engage its audience. Long gone are the days where a billboard will suffice.  Two days ago Skittles were just another option in a vending machine. Now, the brand is exposed and has opened themselves up to the sweet, and yes, even the sour.

Their website has been revamped into a live twitter feed, a facebook group, flickr photos, a wiki and a youtube video. But, before you can get in on the action, the site forces you to spill your age.  By doing so, you can sing their praises or throw tomatoes.  Either way, it’s a calculated risk that gets their message out loud and clear.

What Made Me Pause?

Love it or hate it, Skittles found the gold at the end of the social media rainbow. That gold is engagement. Opening up any conversation, good or bad, builds brand awareness. What sets Skittles apart is being in the know.  They’ve realized who their audience is and have appealed to that target demographic to engage young social media enthusiasts in an unconventional way.

In my books, the S in Skittles stands for star not sword this week.

Isabella

Pause for Mass Collaboration

For this next post, we may have bitten off more than we could chew, but we just couldn’t resist.

After viewing Us Now, a documentary film from the UK, we realized that social media isn’t just impacting our online social lives but it’s leading a shift through a political revolution. Contributor to the film and renown author of Wikinomics, Don Tapscott, encapsulates this idea by saying that “If you can create an encyclopedia with 1 million people you’ve never met but the quality is just as good as Britannica, what else can you create?” The rise of online communication tools has provided the opportunity for mass collaboration and self-government. We are literally on the brink of taking away the power of the few and dispersing it to the masses.

There are a few things to consider when empowering online communities. First, you must put your trust in others. And we see this occurring. People are beginning to trust others almost more than authorities. The impact of someone’s blog has the power to be greater than a live broadcast. Trust builds reciprocal relationships that translate into power. The idea is that if you put out trust, you will attract the same in return.

Second, we must underline the importance of transparency. While PR people may have always advocated for transparency, it has ceased to be an option. Mass online information sharing requires organizations to open the shutter. Don Tapscott said a clever quote that resonated, “If you’re going to be naked, you better be fit.” Being transparent is no longer what sets you apart, it’s what keeps you alive.

Third, the cost to share within social media is less than the benefits we receive. This is critical since it builds mutually beneficial relationships with one another. The reason people want to review products, speak out, or offer their couch to strangers (in the case of couchsurfers.com) is to receive more in return: invaluable advice or even a free place to crash on an upcoming trip.

Finally, how mass collaboration relates to government. If we are presented with tools to reorganize our lives and the way we share information – we are becoming engaged in a process. We are not merely confined to voting and being bystanders of the political system. We have a chance to let our voices be heard. We can engage leaders and governments, which impacts policy. Social media is allowing politics to transform into a mandatory two-way communication system. This new model is precisely how we all become part of the government.

What Made Me Pause:

Well, if public relations is about collaboration and building mutually beneficial relationships, then the digital arena is opening an unprecedented amount of doors that will not only facilitate our work, but will add a greater value and credibility to the discipline. Through social media, people are learning to connect the dots themselves. As PR people, we no longer have to hunt for those links – we simply have to tap into them and be sure to listen, monitor, analyze and engage.

Melissa

Pause for Responsible Journalism

The balance between protecting individual reputation and a journalist’s right to free speech has been a longstanding challenge in Canadian courts. Now, the new defense under review could affect all forms of media including members of the blogosphere.

The National Post recently reported on Cusson v. Quan, a case involving an Ontario Provincial Police officer who travelled to Ground Zero following the 9/11 attacks. This resulted in three stories published by the Ottawa Citizen shining Mr. Cusson in a negative light.

This landmark case prompted the Ontario Court of Appeal to create a new defamation defense called “public interest responsible journalism”. Last week this appeal was heard before the Supreme Court in hopes of finally resolving the tension between individual security and freedom of the media. The new defense would allow for stories written in the “public interest” providing those who research, write and publish them do so in a responsible manner.  However, this notion of “responsible journalism” has yet to be fully defined or applied. If the Supreme Court passes this new defense it could apply to anyone from newspapers to citizen journalists.

The new defamation defense will protect journalists from being sued for libel even in the presence of inaccurate facts, as long as they can prove that they acted responsibly. This is a major shift, as the traditional defense requires journalists to prove the full and complete accuracy of their story. This creates a burden by imposing a level of fear in fact finding and dissemination. While it is important for the government to protect individual security and privacy, it cannot do so at the cost of the greater public interest.

The decision of implementing a new defense is expected this summer and it will be interesting to see how it unfolds and its implications for all forms of journalism.

What Made Me Pause:

While giving media “carte blanche” in disseminating information can sound like a dangerous idea, the alternative is far more threatening. If a journalist cannot wholeheartedly fulfill their duty of informing the public, then we all stand to lose. I believe that this new defamation defense is a necessary step in the advancement of journalistic integrity, but it is not the most important issue at stake. The real issue lies in the obscurity of what constitutes “public interest” and “responsible journalism”. If the courts neglect to develop a clear definition of these terms then the amended defense will invite a whole new set of problems. What will this mean for citizen journalists and other participants in online forums? Will they be confined to the same set of rules?

The bottom line is that this could potentially affect the entire concept of open dialogue that social media has afforded us. Freedom of speech is one of the greatest gifts of democracy. Now more than ever, citizens have the opportunity to actively engage in public debate. We have redefined the realm of journalism and made it more inclusive, so law must reflect that. How can new media be embraced if the law does not support it? Journalists are the watchdogs of society.  If their voice isn’t protected, then the rest of us don’t stand a chance.

Isabella